The Order of the Elements
by Lumos Fabula
Summary: 1,000 years DotNW. Colette lives in Aiseliya with her grandson, adopted grandson, and their friend. The three are in the midst of finishing their degrees when they run into Zelos at a job fair, leading Colette and Zelos to hope the other Heroes are still alive. When the two start looking for the others, their descendants begin saving the world. Cover image by Hansaera on Tumblr!
1. Prologue

The sobbing reached her ears slowly. It took her a moment to throw off her own cloud of despair before she realized what the sobbing meant. She blinked her blue eyes and shook her head before standing. Tilting her head to the side and brushing her blonde hair from hanging over her ear, she listened again. Turning her head, she determined the sobbing was coming from the river. That, she thought as she walked to the river, explained why she hadn't heard anything right away, angelic hearing or not.

Exiting the old house, she looked to the river in front of the porch and to her left. A trail of wet grass led from the river to the side of the house. Turning the corner, she stifled a gasp.

Laying on the ground in the fetal position was a young child, soaked through. His white hair had mud, twigs, and suspiciously bright red blood matted in it. He was scraped and bruised everywhere and his clothes were shredded. He wasn't wearing any shoes and his fingers were clasped tightly around a pendant he had around his neck on a chain that was too big for him.

In only the few breaths that she observed him, his sobs became louder and shriller. Tears were streaming down his face as he wailed.

She fell to her knees beside him and lightly laid her fingertips on his shoulder. He flinched and rolled to press himself as close to the house as possible, his green eyes widened with sheer terror.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." She made sure to use her most soothing voice and gave him a gentle smile. "My name's Colette. What's your name?"

The child stared at her for several long moments before he whispered with a rasp, "Gale. Gale Saveri."

"It's very nice to meet you, Gale." Colette maintained her smile. With such a hurt young child in front of her, her despair that always overcame her on this day had dissipated in with the river rushing by. He needed her help, after all. "How did you get here, Gale?"

"Th-th-the ri-river carried-duh me." Gale's breath rattled as he attempted to talk around his sobs. "I-I f-fell in at-at Ca-Cam-Cambret Cave."

Colette stifled her surprise. It normally took two days to reach Aiseliya from Cambret Cave by boat. "Gale, how did you stay above the water?"

"I-I used s-some ma-magic and bi-ig br-branches." He sat up and wiped his nose.

"You are a very smart boy. Does your family know you fell in?"

Gale's eyes widened again and he resumed wailing, curling his knees up to his chest. "Bad-bad men h-hurt them a-and they w-wouldn't ge-ge-get back u-up!"

Colette gathered Gale in her arms and settled him in her lap. He didn't resist-rather, he clung to the front of her shirt with one fist while the other fist still tightly wound around the pendant. Colette smoothed his hair and whispered soothing words into his pointed ears.

It took a long time for Gale to quiet himself and fall asleep. Colette, knowing he was asleep, still murmured, "Why don't you come home with me? We'll get you patched up and you can stay with us for as long as you like."

To her surprise, Gale nodded. "There's a good boy."

Colette showed no strain as she stood up with the sleeping child in her arms. She went back around the corner and stood in the doorway. As she closed the door, she whispered, "I'll see you later, Lloyd, everyone."

As always, the pictures in their shining frames never answered. They all kept grinning their big grins and never moved.

Her smile tinged with sadness, Colette walked across the bridge that led back to her house.

 _TWO YEARS LATER_

"Caleb! Hurry up!" Gale glanced over his shoulder to the small blond boy chasing after him.

"Why?" demanded Caleb, his brown eyes narrowed with displeasure. "Grandma had cookies!"

"The festival has ice cream! Grandma _always_ has cookies!" Gale let Caleb catch up to him and grabbed the younger boy's hand. "Don't forget-you have to hold my hand in big crowds!"

"I know," replied Caleb. His eyes were wide with wonder as he looked at all of the vendors and their wares and the people walking around the two of them.

Even though the days of the ancient Church of Martel were gone, Martel Day continued to be a day of joy and celebration to remember the merging of the worlds and to celebrate the spring returning after a long winter.

Gale spotted an ice cream stand and dragged Caleb to it. They ordered their ice cream (Gale handed over the money Colette had given him) and trotted to an open bench nearby with their treats.

Caleb took his first bite. He had previously had ice cream before, but he was a little too young to remember it at five years old. With ice cream all over his lips, he grinned at Gale. "You're right, Gale, ice cream _is_ better than cookies!"

"Didn't I tell you?" The equally messy Gale grinned back. He hopped off the bench, but landed on a rock and slipped forward and fell. He felt the breath whoosh out of him as someone tripped and landed on him. They promptly began crying.

"Yuna! Oh, Yuna-lee, are you okay?" A worried woman hovered over the two and helped the person off Gale's back. Gale turned over so he could breathe better. The woman helped him sit up.

"Oh, are you okay, young man?" The worried woman's dark blue eyes were set under dark blue eyebrows that were furrowed and dark blue hair that dangled as she investigated him.

"Gale!" Caleb patted his head. "Are you okay?"

Gale nodded to both of them. The woman returned her attention to her daughter, whose head was bleeding a little. The woman muttered a spell and said, "First Aid!"

Yuna's head healed immediately. She continued to sniffle, her sea green eyes watery and cerulean hair out of place from its two ponytails.

Caleb solemnly said to the woman, "I'm sorry my brother hurt your daughter." He ducked his head.

Gale wheezed, "Hey!"

The woman laughed and helped Gale stand up, deeming him to be alright. "You seem to have gotten your breath back, dear."

Gale took a few more deep breaths and replied, "I think so. Thank you."

"Mommy, my ice cream is ruined." Yuna mournfully pointed to her ice cream, splattered on the ground.

"I'll buy you another one. In fact," she turned to Gale and Caleb, "let me buy you two some ice cream as well. Then we'll go find your house and let your parents know what happened. Does that sound good?"

"Yeah!" All three children cheered up right away.

 _TWO YEARS LATER_

"Hey! Wait up!" Gale paused at the bottom of the stairs as Yuna giggled, scrambling up the stairs. They were exploring the old house by the Swordsman's River on Caleb and Gale's family's property. Gale was a heartbeat behind Yuna on the stairs, laughing.

Gale had some apprehensive feelings about the house, but was also comforted by it at the same time. He wasn't sure why, but continued up the stairs behind the two after he deposited the kendama he had been examining back where he found it.

The three found themselves in a large bedroom with many gleaming picture frames all over the walls and on the tables. A single chair that looked as if it had been recently used or cleaned was in the middle of the room. A bedframe with no mattress in it was pushed against one wall.

Yuna looked intently at all the pictures, her giggling at a full stop. She saw that all the pictures had the same 10 people over and over. One familiar blonde head caught her attention.

"Caleb, Gale, look at this." Yuna pointed to one particular picture the blonde woman was in with three other women. "Don't you think it looks like Grandma?"

Caleb scrutinized the picture. "It does." He stepped a little closer, pulling Gale along with him.

Gale nodded. "It looks like Grandma."

"She looks exactly the same!" Yuna moved to the picture. "Let's take it to her and ask."

"No need, dears." Colette looked over the floor from the stairs. She continued to the landing and said, "I'm here."

"Grandma, is this you?" asked Caleb, his brows furrowed.

"Yes, it is." Colette took the picture and smiled at it wistfully. She placed it back in its spot. "Do you remember the legend of the Hero and his companions?"

"Of course," replied Caleb. "The Hero saved the world from the wrath of Cruxis and rejoined the two worlds with the help of the last Chosens and their friends."

"Very good, Caleb. Yuna, what were the names of those people?"

Yuna pursed her lips for a moment before she responded. "Lloyd, Colette, Zelos, Genis, Raine, Regal, Presea, Sheena, Kratos, and Yuan."

"Wonderful, Yuna!" Colette smiled at her. "Now, you said the name 'Colette'."

Yuna nodded. The three children glanced at each other, baffled. They weren't entirely sure where this was going.

"I am Colette, the last Chosen of Sylvarant before the worlds were joined by Lloyd the Hero." Colette gestured to the pictures. "This house is where Lloyd grew up. All of these pictures are our friends. Sheena, Raine, Presea, Regal, Genis, Yuan, Kratos, Zelos. All of them."

"But, Grandma, how are you still alive? That was a long time ago." Caleb grabbed onto Colette's pinky.

"I'm not sure, Caleb. But here I am." Colette smoothed his hair.

"What about the others?" asked Yuna. "What happened to them?"

Gale interjected, "Yeah, why doesn't Lloyd still live here if this is his house?"

Colette went very still for a few moments. The children could see her sadness clear as day, though she tried to disguise it with a smile. A tear slipped from her eye as she replied, "We all had to go our separate ways. I imagine they're all dead now."


	2. Chapter 1

_Fifteen Years Later_

"Hey, Yuna! Yuuu-naaaaa!"

Yuna looked up from her textbook and waved at Gale and Caleb as they sauntered across Sage University's campus. She marked her spot and closed the book, stuffing it in her bag. By the time she stood up, the two young men had joined her.

"Hey, guys. Ready to go?" Yuna tucked a piece of her cerulean hair behind her ear.

"Yup! Shotgun!" exclaimed Gale.

"Gale, you sat shotgun last time." Caleb crossed his arms.

Gale deflated a little and said, "Ah, you're right."

"It is my turn to cook, too. So I use that to claim shotgun as well."

"Right on! I rescind my prior declaration."

Yuna rolled her eyes. "You two."

"What?" The two brothers glanced at each other.

The three walked to Yuna's rheaird. It was a cargo one, so it was too large to fit in its own storage pack. It did, however, fit up to six people. Yuna began navigating them from the campus to the small apartment the three were renting in Aiseliya. Though their families were nearby, they had all wanted to have their own space and keep their families from being subjected to a college kid's strange hours.

"Yuna, by the way, have you heard about one of the employees coming to the job fair?" Caleb turned his head to face Yuna, his brown eyes as inscrutable as always.

"Not in the last few hours. I know they're still releasing names, but I haven't had a chance to look again between classes." She brought them to a stop at a light. "Who's coming?"

"Corrine Labels."

"WHAT!" Yuna screeched and let her foot off the brakes for a moment, making the rheaird lurch forward. Once her foot was safely on the brakes again, she exclaimed, "I've always wanted a job with them! Are you serious?"

"Yes, I know and yes, I am. That's why I told you." Caleb allowed the corner of his lip to quirk upwards.

Yuna punched him in the arm and began tapping the steering wheel furiously, muttering to herself. "I'll have to work on my resume and portfolio. I better include the piece from the bass class. And the one from woodwinds."

Gale and Caleb laughed at her. She continued furiously muttering as she finished the drive to the apartment and parked the rheaird. The moment she cut the engine, she leapt out of the rheaird and dashed to their apartment. Caleb and Gale made sure it was locked before joining her in the apartment.

Gale glanced up at the sky. "Isn't Wylder Magitechnology going to be there, too? I know you've talked about them before."

"Yeah, they will be there." Caleb added, "Corrine Labels is actually a spinoff from them. I really do want to work with Wylder, though. They're one of the top three companies developing and researching magitechnology."

They entered the apartment and heard Yuna's continued muttering, dictating to her computer what she wanted on her resume and what pieces from classes she wanted embedded so people could listen to them. Gale chuckled and Caleb smirked again. "What about you, Gale?"

"Well, if you guys are already going to be in Neotokio, I'll probably try to tag along. It'd be nice to try living somewhere else for a while. I'm not set on a particular school to teach in, just as long as I can teach." Gale set his bag on a chair in their living room. "Besides, even if Neotokio winds up sucking, it's only for a year before we come back here."

Caleb bobbed his head. "Right. Once our one year residency is completed, we can graduate." Caleb strode over to the kitchen and began taking out ingredients. "I'll start cooking."

"I'm going to work on my resume with Yuna. Holler if you need us to help out."

Caleb waved Gale off.

When Gale walked into Yuna's room, she glanced up at him in the middle of putting her hair in a ponytail.

"I thought we could work on our resumes together."

"Ah, good idea." Yuna patted the ground beside her. "Here's what I have so far."

She gestured to the screen on her wall, where her resume was displayed. "What do you think?"

Gale eyed it critically. He gestured to the screen and moved around a few boxes and items. "How about that? It's a little more visually appealing, right?"

"Hmm." Yuna moved around a few more things. "See? Putting my name vertical like that at the top and running this paragraph about my experience and enthusiasm makes it look a bit like a musical staff, doesn't it?"

"You're the music guru, not me. I see what you mean, though." Gale squinted and tilted his head. "Especially if you look at this this way."

Yuna swatted at Gale's arm. "Be serious!"

"Get Caleb for that!"

"Caleb! Gale's being infuriating again!"

"So? What else is new?" Caleb shouted back.

"Ow!" whined Gale. "That wasn't nice, Caleb!"

The doorbell interjected suddenly. Gale and Yuna glanced at each other, eyebrows raised. They exited her room in time to see Caleb hugging Colette.

"Colette!" Yuna trotted to her and hugged her as well, Gale close behind her.

"What brings you here, Colette?" asked Caleb as he returned to the kitchen.

"Well, I missed you all and I wanted to wish you good luck at the job fair. I know it's a really important step on your path to graduate." Colette chirped, "I brought good luck charms for everyone!"

"Why don't we eat first? Then we can talk about good luck charms after that," suggested Caleb.

"That sounds wonderful!" Colette clapped her hands together.

Yuna and Colette set the table and served drinks while Gale and Caleb plated up the food and set it on the table. Everyone took a seat. Colette inclined her head a little and closed her eyes, then placed a napkin in her lap. "Let's eat!"

The air was filled with the sound of clinking dishes for a few moments before Colette asked, "So, how are classes going, you three?"

"Fine," said Caleb. "Nothing too exciting beyond the job fair. However, I am finally learning about magitechnology architecture and getting into more of how to design it and command it."

"I'm doing more observing and coming up with mock lesson plans." Gale smirked. "I am, of course, the favorite of most of the kids."

Colette giggled. "Of course you are!"

Yuna speared a vegetable on her plate. "As for me, I'm learning more about composition and balance. I'm also getting into how to use the right magitechnology to up the bass, fade the sibilant sounds, stuff like that."

"It sounds like everything is going well for you all. I am glad." Colette beamed at them. "I am so proud of all of you!"

"Well, thanks, Colette. It's the least we can do for you." Gale ruffled his hair, abashed.

Their talk continued with clubs, activities, games, and the homework the students were doing. Colette was still doing her crafty things around the house. Over the years, she had developed a talent for creating jewelry. The Brunel family-now the Runil family-had created a global business due to her eye and talent.

While Caleb's family ran the business, Colette stayed home to run the family house. Other than Caleb, his parents, Gale, and Yuna, everyone in the house thought Colette was a distant cousin that had moved to Iselia. Colette had learned how to age herself, much like Mithos had done during that time when he traveled with them. Her angel powers had helped her out with staying undercover more than she expected.

"Ah, that was delicious, as always, Caleb. Thanks!" Gale pushed away from the table and patted his stomach, content.

"Yes, thank you, Caleb." Yuna raised her glass of water at him in a mock toast.

"Now that we are done with dinner, let me give you your gifts!" Colette snagged a bag that had been resting by her feet. "First up is…" She shuffled around in the bag and pulled out her hand. "Ah, Gale."

She handed him a tartan bowtie of red, sky blue, and brown shot through with gold thread. "Something for you to wear to the fair."

Gale accepted it and gazed at it for a moment. "I'll treasure it forever. Thanks, Colette."

He stood and took a step over to hug her. Colette embraced him. "Gale, you are welcome. I am honored that you like it so much."

"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I?"

Colette laughed, which effectively shut Gale up as he turned a little red on the tips of his ears.

"Now, for Caleb. Here." Colette held her delicate hands out over Caleb's. He opened his palms and a pair of cufflinks tumbled into his waiting hands. Both had a background of ebony. One had a topaz sun embedded in it and the other had a pearl moon and pearl stars.

"Thanks, Grandma." Caleb smiled at her. "They're great. I'll wear them for the fair."

"You're welcome, dear." Colette smiled back. She could tell Caleb truly liked the gift from his smile alone. These days, when he said "Grandma", that was another indication.

"Last, but not least, Yuna's present." Colette pulled out a necklace and passed it to her.

The chain was rose gold attached to a small pectoral piece that appeared to have a stylized bell in the middle flanked by two circles. Two green enameled mana leaves rested on other side of the circles.

"It's beautiful, Colette." Yuna stared at it. "Thank you! I'll definitely wear this to the fair, too." She got up and hugged Colette.

"Group hug!" exclaimed Gale, dragging Caleb up to force him to participate in the four way hug.

The next day, Colette decided to join the three at the job fair. "For moral support!" exclaimed Colette, pumping her fists to show her veracity.

She aged herself to look their age (in her current timeline she looked like she was in her late 30s) and dressed up in a smart dress and tall boots. She didn't think there was anything against her being there and not trying to apply for any jobs, but she didn't want to stand out and make it appear as if she was only there to watch over her kids.

The three were all wearing their presents with their interview outfits. Gale kept fitfully playing with his bowtie, adjusting it and repositioning it. Caleb kept fiddling with the cufflinks, straightening his arm with a snap and twisting the link. Yuna kept tracing the mana leaf closest to her right hand. The three stared at the job fair sign for a few moments. Colette giggled at how nervous they were. She didn't blame them. Not a lick.

Yuna suddenly said, "Okay! Let's get in there before all the best jobs are gone! We're awesome people and awesome at what we do and we are not going to fail!"

"Yeah!" Gale threw his fists in the air. "Woo! Let's go do this thing!"

"We've got this in the bag," agreed Caleb.

With that, the three friends and Colette moved into the building, where they all split up. Caleb suggested, "Let's meet up by the Wylder Magitechnology section. Corrine Labels will be over there, as well as Neotokio schools. Let's give our applications to at least three companies."

Yuna and Gale nodded. Gale added, "Lucky fistbump, guys."

They did a three way fistbump and made a noise like an explosion as they pulled back. With that, they split up. Colette chose to slowly follow Caleb, looking at other booths and investigating jewellers and her competition as Caleb stopped to give his resume to prospective employers.

Caleb was on the last company to talk to before reaching Wylder Magitechnology. Colette decided she would go on ahead and check the group out. Because of their name, she wondered if they had any connection to Zelos. Looking at their tables-which were very busy-she could see several people with vibrant red hair similar to how Zelos' had been.

"Colette!" Yuna appeared. "How are you liking the fair so far?"

"It's nice to be around people again. I hadn't realized how much I isolated myself on the estate." Colette smiled as she looked at all the people surrounding her.

"Please come to the booth with me. I could really use the moral support while I give Corrine Labels my resume." Yuna clasped Colette's hands in hers.

"Of course. I'd be honored."

The two weaved their way to the booth. The first thing Colette noticed was the logo. It was a fox with a bell and beads on a ribbon around its neck. She frowned. How many people knew Verius was Corrine before he became Verius?

"Look, Colette! They always have the best technology and develop it in-house. They also do their best not to over-sexualize their artists and-" Yuna clammed up as she noticed them being approached by a red-headed man.

"Hi! Welcome to the booth. We are Corrine Labels, subsidiary of Wylder Magitechnology. I am Zenos. How may I help you today?" The young man had sapphire blue eyes, which were darker than the sky blue eyes that Colette remembered. She also scrutinized his red hair, which was the exact same color with the same wave, but cut short and spiked a little in the front. He wore a black suit with a dark blue button-up shirt, but no tie. Colette thought, somewhat wistfully, that he still looked just like Zelos.

"I'm Yuna Kayfee. I'd like to give you my resume. I would be honored if you would consider me an applicant of your company." Yuna thought she did a good job of keeping her voice calm as she handed over her resume.

Colette remained where she was and looked at the other people. The tallest redhead caught her eye. He had long hair like Zelos, but it was braided and he wasn't wearing a headband. Unlike Zelos' pink outfit, he was wearing a navy blue suit. Her eyebrows furrowed. How odd. The man even moved like Zelos.

When the man turned, Colette gasped. The man was looking around, as if he had sensed someone watching him. His eyes-sky blue-locked on Colette's and widened.

The two moved towards each other, disregarding anything else. When they were within an arm's length of each other, they stopped and stared at each other for a few moments.

"Colette?" breathed the man.

"Zelos?" whispered Colette.

With that, they hugged fiercely. For a few moments, neither said anything. They separated, but still grasped each other by the elbows. Colette smiled. "I am so glad to see you, Zelos! But-how?"

"I expect that is what years of being an angelic shut-in will do to you." Zelos shrugged, a goofy grin on his face. "I've been living such a sheltered life that I haven't been able to do anything that might get me killed, beyond sparring with my grandkids."

Colette giggled. "Whatever the reason, we've found each other again! That's the important thing."

Zelos' grin got even bigger. "Yup yup! We don't have to be lonely anymore."

Colette embraced him fiercely again. "No, we don't."

She stepped back and looked at the booth, where Yuna was still talking to Zenos. "Corrine Labels. I should have known you would have something to do with that."

Zelos didn't respond right away. He stared at the logo before murmuring, "You miss Lloyd every moment, right?"

"Yes."

"Somehow, that's how it is for me with Sheena."

Yuna could hardly remind herself to breathe between her nervousness and how attractive this man-Zenos- was. They had been able to talk easily throughout the interview and he seemed impressed with her portfolio and credentials.

Zenos swiped his finger over the holopaper sheet one more time to review her resume. "Well, Miss Kaylee, your qualifications are solid and your enthusiasm and drive are admirable. If you're interested, you're welcome to intern with us for your capstone year."

Yuna did her best not to scream with joy and jump in place like a maniac. She settled for a wide, exuberant smile. "I would be honored to take a position with Corrine Labels."

Zenos held out his hand and grinned. "Welcome to the team, Miss Kaylee."

"Thank you so much for this opportunity. I won't let you down!" Yuna's excitement bubbled over a little as she shook his hand.

Zenos chuckled. "I have no doubt. Now, Zeros over here will- are you seriously hitting on a woman right now? At a _job fair_?" Zenos directed his accusations at another red-headed man who was talking to Colette as they held onto each other.

"Colette, are you okay?" Yuna's brows creased in the middle. She hadn't ever seen Colette be so comfortable with a stranger. So this must not be a stranger.

"I am hitting on no one, Zenos!" retorted the man. "I have just found a long-lost friend!"

Colette nodded. "It's fine Yuna." She beckoned Yuna closer as well as Zenos. Zenos glanced at Yuna and asked, "Did you say 'Colette'?"

Yuna nodded. Colette was a popular name these days anyways, so it wasn't a giveaway on its own.

The two reached Colette and her friend. Yuna had a sneaking suspicion of what was about to happen.

"Yuna, this is Zelos Wilder." Colette added to Zelos, "This is Yuna Kayfee. She is one of my grandson's best friends. She can absolutely be trusted."

Yuna still felt like she had just been hit over the head with a club though she was expecting it. "W-wow. I'm honored to meet you, sir."

She held out her hand. With a smirk, Zelos shook it as Zenos facepalmed. "Don't encourage him."

"Right, Zenos is here. Zenos, Colette Brunel. Colette, my grandson, Zenos Wylder." Zelos gestured to the two while continuing to shake Yuna's hand.

"Pleased to meet you." Zenos shook Colette's hand. Yuna thought he looked like he was trying to restrain himself from bowing.

"Mr. Wylder." A man appeared at Zenos' shoulder. "I have a candidate for the magitechnology development department I'd like you to approve. I also found someone to teach at the Wylder Academy with the children." He appeared to resist a smirk. "He will keep the children entertained, almost certainly."

"I'll be right there," replied Zenos. He flicked his gaze back to Colette and Yuna. "Please excuse me."

Yuna's eyes widened as she followed him walk away. "Wait. Did I interview with the CEO of Wylder Magitech?"

"Well, he's the CEO-in-training, but close enough," chirped Zelos. "Did he take you on?"

"Yes. Yes, he did." Yuna blinked to try and erase her surprise.

"Well, let's get your information down and figure out when you can start!" Zelos led her to a table, Colette following, where he picked up a holosheet. "Let's get to it."

Yuna's dazed feelings faded as she gave him her information. She couldn't believe she was getting to fulfill one of her dreams, let alone actually talked to the CEO-in-training in person. One of the greatest things was that, if you were able to intern with the company you ultimately wanted to work for, you were nearly always able to return to that company as a full-time employee after graduation. So between that and the fact she had talked to Zenos, she would more than likely get to work for Corrine Labels for as long as she could.

"There! That's it." Zelos pressed a button on the holosheet with a flourish. "We'll see you down at the studio as soon as classes are over for the summer, so in three weeks." He grinned at her. "We'll have a great time!"

"Zeros, here are two more people. Please get their information as well." Zenos reappeared with none other than Gale and Caleb.

Yuna couldn't restrain herself. She squealed and pulled the two into a hug. "We did it! We did it!"

"We did do it! We did the thing!" cheered Gale.

Caleb chuckled and agreed, "We did it!"

"Oh, congratulations, you three!" Colette joined their hug. "I'm am very, very proud of you all!"

They were a fumbling group for a few moments before disengaging.

"Colette, is Caleb your relative?" Zelos looked Caleb up and down.

"He is. Gale is my adopted grandson. They both know the truth. Gale, Caleb, I'd like you two to meet Zelos. Zelos, this is Gale and Caleb."

Gale looked gobsmacked as Caleb held out his hand, unruffled. "Pleased to meet you, sir."

Zelos laughed as he shook Gale's hand. "It's wonderful! Wonderful! Colette, since your three musketeers are coming to Neotokio, you should come stay in the mansion with me for a while. We have a lot to catch up on, after all."

Collete's eyebrows shot skyward. "Oh, I hadn't even thought about that!"

"That's a great idea, Colette! You should do it." Yuna hoped Colette would. She had always been lonely, even around her three grandkids (because Colette considered Yuna another grandchild). Now Colette was looking the happiest that Yuna thought she could remember. The ghost of being alone that was always hidden in her eyes had almost evaporated.

"I think I will. I'll come stay with you for a while, Zelos. Is it okay if I bring my jewelry-making things?" requested Colette.

"Of course, of course!" Zelos grinned. "I look forward to seeing your art."

"She made this necklace." Yuna took off her necklace and handed it over to Zelos to investigate.

Zelos gingerly took it. His face softened as he looked at it. He ran his fingers over the bell and the design. "She would be really happy to see this, Colette. And he'd be proud of your craftsmanship."

Colette smiled, memories of people long past making it beautifully sad. "Thank you, Zelos."

Yuna accepted it back, chills running down her back because of these two people. They had endured so much, accomplished so much, and lost so much. Finding each other was a miracle granted by whatever destiny that refused to let them die. They could now cling to each other in the river of time as fellow passengers upon one lonely raft rather than two.

"Now that we've gotten all this sorted out, _Zeros_ , there's a line of people growing. Please do your job." Zenos turned to Colette and smiled. "I look forward to your company, Colette. Gale, Caleb, Yuna, I'm looking forward to getting to know you. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help with the transition to Neotokio."

"Thank you, Mr. Wylder," replied Yuna.

"Please, just call me Zenos. Mr. Wylder is my father." Zenos shook everyone's hand and left to interview someone else.

Yuna got the distinct impression it would be hard to concentrate around him.

Zelos hugged Colette again. "I need to get the information from these two guys, but I'll have to move on to the others in line after that. I'll see you in a couple of weeks."

"Yes! Please send instructions to Caleb's address and I'll be there."

"I will, angel." Zelos pecked her on the cheek. "Tata!"

Colette laughed and waved as she and Yuna moved to somewhere a little more out of the way. Once the two brothers joined them, they all headed out of the building. Once they were all away from the mad crowd, a simultaneous grin broke out over their faces.

"Race you to Frocau's!" exclaimed Gale as he dashed away.

"That's not fair! I'm wearing heels!" protested Yuna as she ran after him.

"Just means you're buying!" retorted Caleb.

Colette's laughter rang through the air as she ran after them.

In the end, Yuna hobbled into the ice cream bar in her bare feet. Her feet couldn't handle the run in her strappy heels. Colette took pity on her and bought the ice cream for everyone.

"A toast!" Yuna raised a spoonful of her ice cream. "To the next stage in all of our lives!"

"Yes!" chorused the others as they tapped their spoons together.


	3. Chapter 2

Yuna escorted Colette to the Wylder mansion a week and a half later. All of her exams had finished while Gale and Caleb still had a couple to go. After she left Colette with the Wylders, she was going to go apartment hunting for a couple of days before returning to Aiseliya.

Yuna was impressed by the manor as she drove up to it. She left her rheaird outside the gates and took a couple of Colette's bags. She looked around as she walked through the gates and to the entrance of the mansion.

It sat by itself outside of city limits, on top of hill that overlooked the city of Neotokio. Standing at four stories tall, Yuna saw several wings to the building. Smaller buildings dotted the manicured lawn.

As they walked, Colette and Yuna pointed out pretty details and statues that caught their eyes.

When they reached the front door, the two glanced at each other for a moment, unsure what to do.

"Colette! Yuna! I didn't know you two were coming today."

Zenos appeared, sweating heavily and holding onto a towel to wipe his brow. He was wearing a tight short-sleeved black shirt with thick pants and boots. Yuna couldn't help herself from appreciating his attractively toned muscles for a moment.

"Ah, Zenos! Yes, I am here to stay with you," chirped Colette. "I am surprised Zelos didn't say anything."

"I'm not." Zenos ran the towel over his face. "I'm usually in the city, so he probably thought I'd figure it out at some point. Come on inside."

He opened the doors and took a bag each from Colette and Yuna. Yuna nearly jumped when his fingers brushed hers.

Zelos was trotting down the stairs when they got to the large entrance hall. "Colette! You're here!"

He was so excited that he jumped over the railing from halfway up the stairs and tumbled across the floor. He sprang up and sang, "Ta da!"

"That was wonderful, Zelos!" Colette hugged him.

"Please, leave your bags here. The servants will get them at some point."

Yuna followed Zenos' example and placed the bags a little off to the side. "Well, I'll go ahead and leave you to it, Colette. I really need to start running down apartment options."

"Why don't you wait a little bit and I'll come with you?" offered Zenos. "I'm good friends with a couple of building owners."

"Besides, such a pretty woman shouldn't be walking around unescorted!" Zelos threw an arm around her.

Yuna felt her cheeks tinge with red. She couldn't restrain a giggle when she saw Zenos do the same as he shot Zelos a glare. "I'd really appreciate that, Zenos. Thanks."

"Great. I'll be back in a few minutes." He hurried off upstairs.

Zelos withdrew his arm and offered his elbows to Yuna and Colette. "While he's getting ready, why don't we get a drink?"

"That sounds great." Colette accepted his arm at the same time as Yuna. "Thanks, Zelos!"

"Yes, thank you, Zelos." Yuna agreed. She still couldn't help but be stunned she was arm in arm with the actual Zelos Wylder. She normally wasn't star-struck, but since he was one of the original Heroes, she thought it was acceptable. Also, it was plain to see where Zenos got his good looks from.

Zelos sat Colette and Yuna down at the island in the kitchen. No servants were currently in the kitchen, so Zelos set to pouring lemonade for the three himself.

Yuna sipped on her lemonade as she listened to Colette and Zelos swap stories about what they had been up to over the years.

Zelos acted out a story with his hands, gesturing wildly as necessary. "... so I swooped out of the sky, scooped her out of the path of the egg bear, and took her back to her parents! Silly kid shouldn't have been allowed into a store by herself, let alone a forest."

Colette giggled. "Gale, Yuna, and Caleb loved playing in Lloyd's old house. One time, I went to check on them and they had all discovered some old armor we all left there. The funniest thing was Yuna trying to use the shield to surf."

"I may have had an overactive imagination as a child," replied Yuna delicately as she sipped on her tea.

Zelos chuckled. "I found Zenos trying to wear a helmet one time. It was so big on him that he managed to get his shoulders stuck in it."

"Thank you, Zelos, for trying to embarrass me." Zenos reappeared with a light blue shirt and jeans with loafer shoes. His hair was still damp.

At least he was dressed casually enough that Yuna didn't feel extremely self-conscious in her navy blue sundress and sandals.

"Well, shall we go?" Zenos grabbed a swig of Zelos' lemonade. Zelos protested, "Hey!"

"Yes. Thanks for the drink, Zelos." Yuna stood and flapped the skirt on her dress to make sure the creases fell as they should.

"You're welcome," replied Zelos. "Feel free to come visit whenever you want. I'll help harass your horrible boss."

Zenos rolled his eyes.

"Thanks, Zelos." Yuna grinned. She hugged Colette. "Let us know if you need anything. We'll let you know where the new apartment is."

"That sounds wonderful. Be careful." Colette embraced her.

Yuna and Zenos left the kitchen and exited through a side door into a section of the gardens Yuna hadn't walked through.

"Hmm."

Yuna glanced at Zenos. "Everything okay?"

"I thought I saw something." He squinted at a tall spire of rock in the gardens. "Must have been a trick of the light. How'd you guys get here?"

"My cargo rheaird."

"Let's take something a little smaller." Zenos continued walking to the building in front of them. Yuna assumed it was a garage.

"Are you sure? I don't mind driving."

"I'm sure. It'll be a little easier to get around in my rheaird. As a warning, parking is expensive for those big rheairds like that." In the garage, Zenos selected a two seater rheaird and released it from its carrier. He hopped in and started it up before gesturing to Yuna. She got in on the passenger side, of course. Somewhere along the way, someone had combined the technology of rheairds with a wagon-like structure to create an enclosed rheaird.

"Thanks for the heads up." Yuna settled into the seat to make herself comfortable.

Zenos nodded and turned on some music as he steered them to the city.

Yuna listened to the music as she thought. She hated to be so stereotypical, but she was going to have to work hard to be normal around Zenos. She was normally stuttering and blushing around the people she considered attractive. Considering she hadn't tripped over herself, she thought she was doing a pretty good job. Besides, more than likely, he already had a girlfriend, considering his status and how nice he was. Maybe if he worked more at the magitechnology sector, she wouldn't have to worry too much about it.

"Do you like the music?" asked Zenos.

Yuna bobbed her head. Her fingers had been tapping to the beat of the music while she had been thinking. "It doesn't sound familiar, but it has strong, honest tones to it and a catchy beat. Who is this?"

"One of the newest artists on the label. This is his demo tape. I like to keep demo tapes to listen to before they go in. It's interesting to listen and figure out if there's a change in the quality of their voice or tone or message."

"Oh, that's a great idea." Yuna grinned. "I'll have to remember that."

"Thanks. I love working at the label when I get a chance."

Yuna saw that chance of not being around him a lot slip away. "Do you sing?"

"Yes, I do, actually. Not in public, though. I enjoy singing for friends and family." Zenos' lips twitched upwards. "How about you?"

"Yes. I sing. I compose. I can play most instruments on at least a rudimentary level, though the piano is my preferred instrument." Yuna turned her gaze to the street in front of them. "I love doing karaoke. For me, there's nothing quite like working with music."

"I don't have the passion to take it beyond the level of a hobby," admitted Zenos. "I think that's why I like working at the label when I can."

Yuna glanced back at him. "I understand that. If you find something relaxing, you don't want to burn yourself out on that passion."

"Exactly. I'm pretty sure the producers think I'm annoying, though."

Yuna giggled at the thought of that.

They reached the label, where Zenos parked in his designated spot. "There are a couple of apartments in walking distance. Gale and Caleb will be working out of that building there." Zenos pointed to a tall, beautiful glass building across the street and down a little. "That's Wylder Magitech headquarters. Corrine Labels' contracts and paperwork are also in that building. This building behind us is the recording studio and where we actually work with the music."

"That's a great setup, having it separated like that."

"Yeah. The lawyers were complaining about too much noise when they were doing negotiations."

"Stuffy suits," scoffed Yuna without thinking.

"Yeah. Hope I don't get that way." Zenos chuckled. "Alright, let's go."

Yuna stayed side by side with Zenos as she looked around. The skyline was taller and brighter than it was in Aiseliya due to all the solid glass buildings. There were also many more cargo rheairds. She even saw some of the single-person open rheairds. People were walking by in a constant stream in all sorts of colors and styles. Aiseliya, while a major city, was maybe half the size of Neotokio.

"You know, Aiseliya is a pretty big city thanks to Caleb's family and the history there, but I didn't think Neotokio would be this much bigger," said Yuna.

"Oh, that's right. Caleb is a Runil, right? Why didn't he go into the family business?"

"He has no love for jewelry or business politics. He tried it for a little while in his teens and it made him miserable. Same thing for Gale." Yuna shrugged. "Few things make him happier than playing with magitech, taking it apart, putting it back together. And Gale is too much of a joker to be in a serious business setting."

Zenos nodded. "I lucked out that I actually like magitech and have some sort of an aptitude for business politics. I'm not sure what I would have done otherwise." Zenos stopped. "Here's the first apartment."

The first one was a bust. Though the owner knew Zenos, he refused to come down off his price and only had two bedroom apartments available. The second, third, and fourth ones had no apartments big enough, though they were in the right price range.

Yuna scowled at the buildings. "I would have thought there would be more three bedrooms! Why are there no three bedroom apartments?"

"If my friend at this next building doesn't have any, I'll buy dinner," declared Zenos.

Yuna quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I mean, I was going to buy dinner for us, no matter what, but I was hoping that would help our mission." Zenos grinned.

Yuna burst into laughter. "Alright, alright. Let's go see what they have."

The apartment was three blocks away (the other four had been one or two blocks) from the Wylder complex. The building looked old, but had some modern updates, as evidenced by the low-mana-using lights along the entry of the building.

"I like the aesthetic of it already, at least." Yuna looked at the old brick and large windows for the apartments. She saw a flash of green out of the corner of her eye and saw a young, green-haired woman staring at her, wearing a short sleeveless dress and a rounded hat, almost like a beret. Yuna blinked and she was gone. Her lips tugged downwards. She must have been imagining things.

Zenos steered Yuna into the lobby of the building and knocked on a door labeled "Building Manager." "Hey, Marty, are you in?"

The door opened and a young man with curly brown hair and vivid blue eyes peeked out. "Oh, hey, Zenos! What's happening?"

Yuna was amused by their secret handshake. "Not too much, Marty. I have a prospective client for you."

Yuna was not quite as amused when she saw Marty's face color red upon seeing her. "Hi. I'm Yuna."

She held out her hand. Marty grasped it and shook it lightly, like he was trying not to hurt her. "I'm-I'm Marty. I'm the property manager here. How may I help?"

"Well, I'm looking for a three bedroom for myself and my two best friends. Gale and Caleb won't be too picky as long as it's a decent size," replied Yuna. "Have anything that might work? We'd also be looking at a year-long lease as this is where we will be for our intern jobs."

"Yes, we do have something that big. We just finished cleaning it the other day, actually. Let's go take a look." Marty gestured out the door of the office.

"Need me to stay here and man the office?" offered Zelos.

"Nah. It'll be okay." Marty let the other two exit the office before locking it and switching a sign to show he was out of the office for a moment. "Come on with us."

"Alright, then."

"Please follow me." Marty walked to a series of warp pads and stepped onto the one labelled "7". He warped away with a bright red light. Zenos gestured to Yuna to follow him. Obligingly, Yuna entered the warp pad and turned to face the front of it. She nearly screamed when she saw a large, vulpine-looking creature with green tails staring at her from outside.

She shook her head and looked again just before she warped away. It was gone. She hoped she wasn't going crazy.

She and Marty waited on Zenos to show up. Yuna took the time to investigate the hallway, noting the tile and trim and how everything maintained the modern-yet-old look. "When was this building originally built?"

"Nearly 500 years ago. I bought it and was able to restore it safely."

"That's really awesome." Yuna heard Zenos appear. Marty took them to a corner apartment and let them in. "After you, Yuna."

Yuna bobbed her head and strode into the apartment. She stopped and gazed, trying not to show her expression.

The living room was wide and open to the kitchen, which had a little bar that helped separate it. To her left were the windows overlooking the Wylder business complex and the kitchen was in the corner to her left behind the door. The back of the apartment had windows that looked over the front of the building and the street that led to the Wylder complex. Five doors lined up on her right, running the length of the apartment.

"So, this space is about 1400 square feet. The rooms are over there, with a bathroom on either side of the middle bedroom. The bedrooms don't have windows, but they do have a holoscreen. You have all the normal kitchen appliances. You do not have your own washer and dryer, but there is a laundry room dedicated to only the four apartments on the end here. You all get a token that lets you use so many washes each month and you pay for any over that amount." Marty gestured to the rest of the apartment. "Of course, keeping everything clean is on you and your roommates."

"Jeez, Marty. I need to come live here." Zenos whistled. "This is impressive."

Marty flashed a grin at Zenos. "I didn't go to school to be an architect for nothing. I lived in too many crappy apartments to not learn a few things along the way."

"Fair enough." Yuna paced around the apartment, checking faucets and opening doors. "How much is this going to run for?"

"Are all three of you interning at Wylder Corp?"

"We are."

"I give a little discount to Wylder Corp employees and interns. This place normally goes for 3500 gald, but I'll give it to you for 2900 instead. That does not include the magitech electricity, network connections, and groceries."

It was a little pricier than they had agreed on, but Yuna felt confident that the guys would agree with her that it was a great deal and much more convenient than they had anticipated finding. "We'll take it."

"Great! Let's go do some paperwork." Marty gestured back out of the apartment with a grin.

Yuna and Zenos left a while later after Yuna completed all the paperwork and settled on a date to move into the apartment with Marty. She was talking with Gale and Caleb on a communicator.

"We'll be within walking distance of just about everything. A market is right up the road. Restaurants are close by. We're only three blocks from Wylder Corp. And the apartment even has a full gym on the first floor that Marty runs as a separate business that we get free access to the equipment!" Yuna couldn't quite restrain a squeak of excitement. "It's so awesome, you guys!

"Sounds really fancy to me. I don't know if little ol' country bumpkin me will be able to handle it," replied Gale, a grin on his face.

"Shut up, Gale."

Caleb added, "Right, because you really enjoy the charms of country life and are so introverted that big crowds freak you out, Gale."

Yuna burst into laughter. "No, that's right! Gale will hate it here!"

"Aw, leave me alone, guys. You're hurting my extraversion." Gale puffed out his lips, pouting.

Yuna and Caleb laughed. She even heard a little snort from Zenos. "Alright, guys, I'll let you go. I need to buy Zenos dinner or ice cream or something for showing me that place." Yuna waved at their heads. "Bye!"

"Bye! Thanks, Zenos!" called Gale.

"Goodbye and thank you as well, Zenos," said Caleb.

Yuna shut off her communicator. "So, where do you want to go? My treat."

"Oh, no. Remember I said I'd buy dinner if you found a place?"

"No, actually, I distinctly remember you said you'd buy dinner if Marty didn't have anything." Yuna quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Actually, I also said I was going to buy dinner no matter what." One side of Zenos' lips twitched up, revealing a little dimple in his cheek.

"How else am I supposed to repay you for giving me my dream job, helping reunite Zelos and Colette, and helping me find an apartment?" Yuna crossed her arms. "It's absolutely necessary."

Zenos' lips tugged into a frown. "I'll make you a deal. I'll buy dinner and you can buy ice cream. How did you know that's my favorite dessert?"

Yuna blinked and dropped her crossed arms. "I didn't. It's just what Gale, Caleb, and I have always done to celebrate. We all love ice cream and we all actually met over ice cream."

Zenos' dimple reappeared. "That's awesome."

"You're distracting me from my mission!" Yuna crossed her arms again.

"Despite what you may have heard from Colette or the Rejoining stories, Zelos taught me manners. Among those manners is that you never let a lady buy dinner unless you've either been together that long or are really good friends. Since we're just getting to know each other, you will mortally wound me if I cannot buy dinner for you." Zenos extended his elbow. "What d' you say?"

Yuna hesitated a moment before she slipped her hand through his elbow. "I suppose I can accept that. But that's pretty old-fashioned thinking."

Zenos' stiff shoulders relaxed. "No woman has complained about it yet."

Yuna grinned, though she glanced at the sky for a moment. "Lead the way."

Zenos steered Yuna to a little dive bar, which surprised her. She had almost been expecting him to go to some ritzy place and announce a reservation he had made three months in advance. But, no. They were in a little dive bar that was off a main road down an alley. The lighting was warm, but dim and the seating consisted of a row of booths on one side parallel to the bar. A couple of people were in the bar, but it didn't seem to be just old people.

"Ah, hey, Zenos. Glad to see you back!" The bartender, a young elf with buzzed magenta hair and several piercings in her ear, waved at him.

"Hey, Miralla." He gestured for Yuna to take a seat at the bar and sat beside her. "This is my friend, Yuna. She's starting her internship at Corrine Labels in a couple of weeks."

"Well, congratulations on that, Yuna! What would you like to have? On the house." Miralla grinned.

"Oh!" Yuna glanced at the bottles that lined up the back. "I'll take a Lemon potent, please."

"On the rocks okay?"

"Please."

"Make that two, Miralla, if you don't mind. And is it your normal special tonight?" Zenos reached for a menu.

"It sure is! Spaghetti night," added Miralla to Yuna, who had just read those words on the menu.

"I'll order that, please."

"And we'll make it two again. Mind sending out some breadsticks or something?" Zenos accepted his drink from Miralla.

"Feeling bossy tonight, aren't we?" teased Miralla. "Sure thing, I'll bring those right out."

Yuna giggled. She turned to Zenos, who had raised his glass. "Cheers!"

"Cheers!" They raised their glasses a little higher, but didn't touch, and took a sip.

"Wow, that's some good potent." Yuna smacked her lips a couple of times.

"It's house made by Miralla here. She makes most of the potents by herself, but she also has these bottles of wines and something that's either really new or really old called liquor." Zenos pointed out bottles on the wall in front of them as he mentioned it.

"Hmm." Yuna took another sip.

"So, Yuna, tell me more about yourself." Zenos turned his body towards her, effectively blocking anyone else from talking to him. "We've been hanging out all day, but with the mission above all, we didn't really get to know each other better."

Yuna paused for a moment. "That's right, I suppose. We were a little distracted. Well, my family is originally from Phalenyr, but we moved to Aiseliya when I was about two. It's just me and my parents. I don't have any siblings." The corners of her lips twitched upwards. "But that's okay because Gale and Caleb are my brothers, anyways. I met them when I was five and they've been my best friends ever since."

"And Gale is adopted, right?"

"He is. He has told us his story, but I won't repeat it. He'll tell you when he's ready."

Zenos frowned. "Is it really that bad?"

Yuna winced a little. "Yes, but he was young when it happened, so he doesn't remember everything, either."

"I see. Maybe one day he'll be comfortable enough to tell me. So, how did you get into music?"

"My mom plays the dulcimer and my dad has a fantastic singing voice. I grew up singing with them and started learning how to play all the different instruments and whatnot. From there, once I found out I could be paid to write songs or help develop them, I knew what I had to do." Yuna twisted towards Zenos. "How about you? How did you figure out that you wanted to work with magitechnology?"

"Really, it's because my father introduced me to what he does as the CEO when I was young. I don't especially care for board meetings and stuff like that, but I also acknowledge that you can't get away from that in that role. But I love playing with magitechnology and everything, so at least I'll have the technical skills to get into the field."

"So how much training have you done so far?"

"Well…."

The two chatted throughout their dinner and over their drinks. By the time they reached Zenos' rheaird, Yuna had to admit she was enjoying herself thoroughly. She was doing her best not to show any sort of romantic attraction to Zenos (and, if she was completely honest, she got the impression he was doing the same).

"Here you are." Zenos opened the door for her. Yuna laughed. "Thank you."

The ride back to the mansion was smooth and filled with laughter and conversation and music. Yuna even sang a little for Zenos, who promptly tried to offer her a chance in the recording studio.

"Don't worry! Once I get to write my own stuff, I'll have to demo it for whoever is going to sing it." Yuna teased as she got out of the rheaird.

Zenos gave a huge sigh. "You're depriving the world, Yuna!"

"Excuse me."

Yuna and Zenos stopped dead in their tracks. The young woman that Yuna had seen earlier in the day was now standing in front of her with an old man who was hunched over a walking stick.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Zenos stepped in front of Yuna.

"I am the summon spirit, Martel. I need your help, Yuna." The woman opened her hand and a staff appeared, made of a twisted branch with leaves on top. "Will you help me?"

"Whoa, whoa." Yuna held up her hands, hearing similar thoughts from Zenos. "Summon spirits aren't real. They're creatures from myths."

"What will it take to convince you, you young fool?" exclaimed the old man. "I am Maxwell!"

"Zenos! Yuna!" cried Colette.

All four people snapped their heads towards the two regeneration heroes running towards them. "Colette! Zelos!"

Colette and Zelos came to a full stop a couple of feet away from them. Zelos quirked an eyebrow. "Maxwell? Martel? What are you doing here? Especially Martel. I thought you couldn't be away from the tree of mana."

"So." Yuna dropped her hands. "You mean to tell me they actually are summon spirits?"

"Yup yup!" Zelos gestured to the two. "This is Maxwell, Summon Spirit of the Elements, and Martel, Summon Spirit of Mana and the Great Tree."


	4. Chapter 3

Yuna and Zenos stood back from Colette and Zelos in the front room. Maxwell and Martel had obligingly come inside so they could all talk.

Zelos narrowed his eyes at the two summon spirits. "So, Sheena was your last summoner, right?"

"What do you mean 'was', you young whippersnapper?" Maxwell shook his walking stick at Zelos. "If you're still here, why would she have gone anywhere?"

Zelos sucked in a breath. Yuna was fairly certain he had stopped breathing altogether. "Sheena's still alive?"

Maxwell caught his breath in his throat and hacked. He cleared his throat and muttered, "Err, maybe I wasn't supposed to say that. Either way, we need those kids to help us out!"

He rattled his cane again, but at Zenos and Yuna this time.

Yuna pursed her lips. "Why us, though? Wouldn't it make more sense to go to Sheena or Zelos or Colette?"

The summon spirits glanced at each other. "We just can't. But there is someone out there trying to gather the summon spirits and use up all our mana. We need vessels to help us get to the Ginnungagap, though, so we can finally help Ratatosk."

"Help Ratatosk?" Colette tilted her head to the side. "Is he finally done with rewriting the laws of mana?"

"With this final step from us, he will be." Martel turned her green eyes on Colette. "We need vessels to help us traverse this world to get to the Ginnungagap so we can help become part of the seal to Niflheim."

"And with that, the world will no longer require mana?" Zelos crossed his arms.

"Supposedly." Martel crossed her arms.

"Hey, you never answered my question! How are you away from the Tree?" demanded Zelos.

"Neither I nor Maxwell are truly here." Martel stepped over to Zelos and passed her hand through his arm. "We are projecting our forms for this conversation."

"Hmph. Okay." Zelos settled down.

Martel returned her attention to Yuna. "So, will you help us, Yuna?"

"Oh-I-er." Yuna stammered for a moment before she muttered, "You never really answered my question about why us." She cleared her throat and added, "Will this be dangerous? Will it interfere with my life? I have goals I want to obtain that are on something of a time schedule."

"I agree. We have things to take care of that will expire if we just willy nilly go around the world." Zenos dug his hands into his pocket.

"We can make no guarantees. But if you don't help us, there may very well not be a world to accomplish your goals in."

Yuna flinched at Martel's blunt words. She glanced at Zenos, only to find his sapphire eyes flicking to hers as well. She hated to admit that those words had scared her, but, really. If there was a possibility the world was going to end and she had a chance to help save it, then how could she live with herself if she resigned it to doom?

A resolution seemed to settled behind Zenos' eyes as well. Yuna dragged her eyes back to Martel and said, "Very well. I will help you as best as I can. I'm still not sure what you need from me."

"Merely to be a vessel. From this moment, I shall be with you always, until you deliver me to the Ginnungagap." Martel's lips twisted into a smile. "From this moment, I am merely a summon spirit. I guard nothing anymore."

"What?" yelped Zelos.

"What about the tree?" Colette wringed her hands. "Will things be okay? Will we have another explosion of monster attacks?"

"That much is unclear. Mana is at an all time low in the world, as it is. I know no longer what truly powers the world-only Ratatosk knows. Maybe nothing will happen. Maybe much will happen." Martel shrugged. Yuna heard Zenos give some form of assent. Maxwell cackled and turned into a cloud of light. The cloud rushed at Zenos and wrapped around his upper right arm. When the light faded, Zenos shoved his sleeve up to his shoulder to reveal a tattooed arm band of a solid line broken up occasionally by a symbol of water, earth, air, and fire.

"Thank you, Yuna." Martel dissipated into light and wafted around Yuna's right wrist. When the light disappeared, Yuna turned her wrist over to find a mana leaf tattooed on the underside of her wrist. "Yuna. Watch for Verius. He shall come to you, too."

Martel's words shivered down Yuna's spine. She flicked her eyes between Colette, Zelos, and Zenos. "What just happened?"

"I think you two just became kinda summoners." Zelos ginned weakly at them.

Zenos frowned. "They didn't explain a whole lot, did they? Who's coming after them, for one thing?"

"And they didn't explain why us specifically," added Yuna. She tilted her head towards Colette. "How many more people do you think we can expect to be approached like this?"

"Well, there were eight main summon spirits: Efreet, Gnome, Undine, Sylph, Celsius, Shadow, Aska and Luna, and Volt. Then there were Maxwell, Origin, and Martel-oh, and Verius, too." Colette ticked all the spirits off on her fingers. "So, I think we can expect at least 12 people."

"Maybe not. Martel said something about keeping an eye out for Verius." Yuna began pacing. "I wish we knew what the common denominator was, though, for determining who their vessels are."

"There's no telling." Zelos waved his hand. "Summon spirits are going to do what they want to do."

"Zelos."

Zelos' eyes went to Colette's bright blue ones. Her brows were furrowed and her jaw was set. Yuna had rarely seen her look so determined before. "Let's go look for them."

Zelos didn't respond right away. His fists clenched and Yuna saw his jaw clench. After a moment, he smirked. "Of course. It has been too long since we've all been together, anyways."

Yuna nearly protested, wanting the comfort of knowing the two of them were nearby, but swallowed her selfish request. Instead, she asked, "What do you think we need to keep an eye out for? How should we find the others?"

"Watch the news. Check the newspapers. Look out for anything unusual." Zelos clapped a hand on Zenos' shoulder. "You have good instincts. Trust them."

Zenos nodded. Zelos stepped to Colette and threw an arm around her shoulders. "I know you want to leave right now to go find them, but let's rest up and leave in the morning. We need to gather some supplies."

"As much as I don't like it, I know you're right." Colette sighed, but her lips tugged upwards. "I can't wait!"

Yuna smiled. The two of them finding each other really was the best thing that could have happened to them. "Well, I'll leave you to it, then. I need to go home and see if Caleb and Gale are okay."

"Are you sure you're okay? You're welcome to stay here overnight," offered Zenos.

"Thanks, but I'm sure." Yuna smiled. "Though having a sleepover would be fun."

Zenos chuckled as Zelos suggested, "Zenos, why don't you ride back with her and take the port-a-warp with you? That way, the three of them have easy access here if they need it. Colette and I will probably use this as our base of operations, so if they want to talk with her, they can leave her messages here. Or if you and Zach need it for some reason."

"Zach?" Yuna's eyebrow quirked up.

"My little brother. He should be getting home soon." Zenos glanced at the clock. "He works at Magitech, too."

His attention returned to Yuna. "Are you okay with the warp pad?"

She bobbed her head. "Let's go."

Moving to Colette, Yuna warmly embraced her. "Please be careful, Colette. We'll do like Zelos suggested and leave messages for you here."

"Of course. I shall leave messages as well to let you know our progress. And we'll have your address so we can stop by, too!" Colette held her by the shoulders. "Keep Gale and Caleb out of trouble."

"I'll do my best." Yuna grinned. She turned to Zelos and held out her hand, but found herself wrapped up in his arms instead.

"Thank you for taking care of Colette," breathed Zelos into her ear. Yuna muttered, "Of course!" and withdrew, hoping no one saw her blushing face. These redheaded men were going to be the death of her.

With a wave at Colette and Zelos, Yuna walked out of the mansion, followed by Zenos. He had a square briefcase with him. Yuna said over her shoulder, "I parked outside the gates."

Zenos' furrowed brows fell to their usual relaxed state. The two reached her rheaird and slid in, Zenos placing the port-a-warp behind him. She started up the rehaird and began heading towards Aiseliya.

After the events that had just happened, neither of them had much to say. They sat in relative silence until Yuna cranked the music up, the bass reverberating in their chests somewhat.

So, there was trouble brewing and she was caught in the middle of it. What was the deal with mana disappearing? It was part of the world, so why wouldn't it always be around? Magitechnology these days had been developed so that it was extremely efficient at not overusing mana. Research and history had proved that terrible things would happen if the mana was disturbed too much. The legends of the giant tree roots razing Palmasta was a warning told to everyone as children.

Yuna began tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, unconsciously keeping time with the main line of the music.

That raised another question, though. If mana was leaving, then why hadn't the organizations and government said anything about lower mana levels? Colette had a point, too-why hadn't the monsters been going out of control? Usually when the mana levels were too unreliable, monsters had historically began attacking travelers and smaller towns. But she hadn't heard anything about that.

The music suddenly turned down and Yuna remembered she had a passenger with her. Zenos said, "So, we can expect six to eight more people at the least to pop up with these tattoos. Do you think we should seek them out or stay separated?"

Yuna considered his words. She chewed on her lip for a moment before replying, "Maybe we should all meet up at least once and see if we can't get more information from our summon spirits. Otherwise, from the sounds of it, we all have to meet at the Ginnungagap. Wherever that is."

Zenos stilled his own tapping fingers. "That's a good point. Well," he leaned back in his seat and stretched his arms in front of him, "we can't do anything until we know where to go or when to go, anyways, I suppose."

"Yeah." Yuna focused a little more on the road since they were entering the suburbs of Aiseliya. Zenos turned the music back up. The man singing had a raspy voice that traveled over several octaves and his songs had a catchy beat, while having a heavier influence than most people expected.

As a second song came to a close and Yuna pulled onto the street she lived on, Zenos commented, "You'll like working with him, I think."

Zenos' words shocked her out of her stupor. "Wait. What? I'm going to work with him? Raphael Wiles?"

"Yeah. Raph is a cousin of mine. Obviously, he didn't have to go through the normal channels to give me his demo, but there is no denying his talent." Zenos turned his eyes on her, looking silver in the moonlight. "He's getting ready to start a new album and I have a feeling you two will get along great."

Yuna parked in the parking garage and turned off the rheaird. She sat there, staring ahead for a moment. "Wow, Zenos. You're just giving me the chance to live one dream after another since I met you. I really am going to have to pay you back somehow."

He smiled, just enough to show a hidden dimple on his left cheek. "Please, your company is more than enough. You treat me like a real person and that is far more valuable than you may realize. I have too many dealings with people who only see me as someone to be with for money and a higher social status or for political reasons."

"Someone to be with?" repeated Yuna, butterflies darting around her stomach.

It was hard to say, but Yuna thought Zenos suddenly turned a darker color on his neck and cheeks. "Well, you know-be around. Friends and all. I've really been lacking for good, close friends in my life other than my brother and cousins. I may be 25, but I still crave friends as much as the next person." Zenos began cracking his knuckles. "Sorry to be all sappy all of a sudden, but I really do not want you to feel obligated. I think we're on our way to being great friends-and hopefully I can be friends with Gale and Caleb, too."

Yuna twisted in her seat to face Zenos and grinned at him. "Oh, be careful with what you wish with the two of them. They're a handful." She reached out and rested her hand on his shoulder. "I agree, though. We're on our way to being friends and they'll definitely come along."

"I can see Gale being a handful, but not Caleb. I can handle them if they're anything like my brother Zach, though." Zenos rested his hand on top of hers and squeezed for a moment. They smiled at each other before dropping their hands back down. "Zach once jumped from a clif twenty feet above the water to prove to Zelos he could fly. He did prove he had spectacular lungs on his way down, even if he couldn't fly."

Yuna giggled nervously. "Let's hope he and Gale don't meet, then. Gale climbed up a really tall tree one time because he wanted to see all the way to Auzelle, but then he got stuck."

Zenos chuckled with her. "Well, shall we?"

"Sure. Follow me."

They walked on the street for a moment, port-a-warp safely in Zenos' grasp. Zenos looked around and said, "You know, other than the job fair, I've never actually been to Aiseliya or done any of the touristy things here."

"Really? Well, next time you have a chance, we'll fix that," promised Yuna.

"Sounds like a deal to me." She saw a broad grin on his lips out of the corner of her eye.

"Please excuse any messes, by the way." Yuna let Zenos into the apartment building first.

"I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Maybe not, but it was Gale's turn to clean up and he's not exactly the cleanest person."

"It can't be worse than Zach's room."

"I really am thinking these two need to not meet."

They walked up the stairs to the fifth floor in silence. Yuna was hoping that her sundress wasn't so short that Zenos could see everything as he followed her up the stairs.

Just as Yuna placed her hand on the doorknob, the two heard yelling. An alarmed look flew between the two of them before Yuna threw the door open. "Are you two okay?" demanded Yuna.

Gale was frozen in place, his mouth still open, but no longer screaming, and his hands poised to rip out his hair. Caleb relaxed from his startled position on top of the couch, stepped down, cleared his throat, then gestured to the two armchairs.

One chair was occupied by a hooded man. A ball of electricity with red eyes floated to its side. The other chair was taken up by a vaguely beaver-ish looking creature with a bow on tip of its head. Standing beside of it was a fox-like creature with green tails.

"You have got to be kidding me," sighed Yuna. She stepped out of the doorway, Zenos quickly following. He shut the door behind him.

"Yuna! This just happened! What's going on?" exclaimed Gale, unfreezing from his position.

"Summon spirits," grunted Yuna. She crossed her arms and gave each creature a pointed look.

"Someone get her an award for knowing what's going on," said the brown beaver-ish creature with a roll of its beady eyes.

"We are still missing something here." Caleb gestured to the living room. "Would someone explain to me and Gale what is going on?"

Yuna and Zenos glanced at each other. "I'll explain. You go ahead and set up the port-a-warp."

Zenos nodded and set to work. Yuna explained as much as she could, the beaver creature butting in on occasion.

When she finished, there was a moment of silence. Caleb tapped a finger against his cheekbone. "This is all highly unusual. How are we being singled out like this? And why are there four spirits instead of two?"

"Calm your heart, Caleb." The fox creature spoke for the first time. "You do not need to fear us-only our enemy. As for why there are four of us, I plan on being an additional burden for Yuna to carry. Volt is going to be with Zenos."

The cloaked man stood and went to Caleb. He held out a cloaked hand to the young man. Caleb stared into what Yuna assumed was his face for a few moments. Her brow furrowed. She had the impression they were communicating silently.

Finally, Caleb took the shadow's hand. The spirit coalesced into a sphere and wrapped around Caleb's left waist on his back. When the darkness faded, Caleb lifted his shirt to reveal the tattoo of a cloaked man in side profile.

"Wicked," breathed Gale.

"Well, guess it's our turn, buddy boy." The beaver creature announced to Gale, "I'm Gnome, summon spirit of Earth."

"How come you don't look more like, you know, a gnome?" asked Gale. He sized up the spirit. "Y'know. Pointy hat and all."

"It's too expected. I always like to keep people on their toes. Earthquakes are optional."

"Say what?!"

"Thanks for being my shield and all!" With that, Gnome turned into a green sphere of light and wrapped around Gale's right calf.

As soon as the light vanished, Gale and the other three humans peered at his tattoo. It was a Mizuhoan-style landscape of mountains and trees in a valley. "I like mine better than yours, Caleb."

The fox creature approached Yuna. "I apologize for being an additional burden, Yuna. I am Verius, summon spirit of Heart."

Yuna puckered her lips. "How am I special enough to guard two summon spirits?"

"Your mana levels are uncommonly high, even among your group. Your spirit is also the most in tune with mine, much like Zenos is with Volt."

She turned to see the ball of electricity floating over to Zenos. There was some crackling noise, then Volt merged into Zenos' upper left bicep.

"Well, it's not like I'm going to tell you no." Yuna held out her hands. "I'll be honored to be your guardian."

"Thank you." Verius closed his eyes and vanished, leaving behind a stylized heart flocked by bells around her left wrist.

Silence reigned for a few moments in the apartment. The four stared at each other.

Zenos cleared his throat. "Well, the port-a-warp's up and running. It'll come out in Zelos' office." He gestured to the softly humming warp pad. "If you have any emergencies between now and when you move, please come over."

"You guys do the same. Feel free to come over whenever you like, actually," answered Yuna, thankful that Zenos was trying to get everyone on neutral ground.

"That is appreciated." Zenos' shoulders dropped almost imperceptibly. "Let me know when you all move and I'll come take care of it."

"Thanks." She threw him a grin.

"Well, I'll get out of your hair." Zenos stepped onto the port-a-warp. "I'll see you later."

"Bye," chorused the three as they watched him warp away.

Silence held session again for a few moments. Yuna glanced at Caleb, who glanced at Gale. Gale met his gaze and flicked his eyes to Yuna.

"Ice cream." Gale bobbed his head once.

"Ice cream," agreed Yuna and Caleb.

Moving in a rhythm found in years of friendship, Gale pulled out the spoons and bowls as Caleb got the toppings. Yuna located the ice cream and started scooping it into the bowls. Gale passed the three bowls to Caleb, who put everyone's favorite toppings on them. He began putting the toppings back up while Yuna stuck the ice cream back in the freezer and Gale poured syrup on top of each bowl. As soon as he stuck a spoon in each bowl, they took the bowls to the small breakfast table and began eating their masterpieces.

They didn't talk as they ate. Yuna was always grateful when the trio turned to this tactic to mull things over. She had already talked through some of this with Zenos, but this time allowed her to think with the new information.

So, someone wanted to use the summon spirits to keep mana in the world. The first step was obvious: find out who wanted to use them and how they were going to use the summon spirits.

Caleb might be able to figure out what the mana situation was-or even Gale, who was a teacher of mana, magic, and science. How would it be bad to no longer have mana in the world? How would everything function? Would magic still be around? She knew there would be many more questions.

The next step was figuring out all the people guarding summon spirits. Again, it might be safer to keep everyone separated instead of running the risk that all of them together would make an easy target for the person after the summon spirits. Would it be a good idea for herself and her friends to start taking self defense courses again?

Yuna tapped her spoon against her lips, her dessert gone.

"So." Gale swirled his spoon in his empty bowl. "We are suddenly guardians of the world. What's up with that?"

"Apparently we have very high mana levels, enabling us to carry the summon spirits without harm to us or them." Caleb placed his spoon in his bowl and rested his chin on top of his interlaced fingers.

"Sounds right to me," agreed Yuna. "Now, are we supposed to carry on with our lives or are we supposed to go ahead and fulfil our mission right away?"

"Normal. We didn't get any impression that there's a time limit on this. How do we find out who the other guardians are?" Gale leaned back in his seat.

"That's an excellent question. I have no reply." Caleb added, "I have a thesis to work as part of my internship. I'll base it on declining mana and report back."

"That's a good idea. I'll do additional research myself. How interested in Zenos are you?" Gale grinned wickedly at Yuna. "You couldn't be more obvious to us, Yuna-lee."

Yuna felt her cheeks turning red before she muttered, "Very."

Caleb and Gale exchanged knowing looks. Yuna groaned. "Am I that obvious?"

"To us, you are," confirmed Caleb.

"But let's be honest," chortled Gale, "we are your best friends. We're obligated to notice things like that."

Yuna grumbled and tried to not give them the satisfaction of knowing they were right.

"Now that we have embarrassed Yuna, it's time for bed." Caleb stood and stretched. "I'll see you two in the morning."

"G'night," replied Yuna and Gale as they followed Caleb's example.

Yuna closed the door to her bedroom behind her. She surveyed the room with a displeased eye. It was torn apart in the beginning stages of packing. That would be her goal tomorrow. She was going to try very hard to not think of Zenos, who was her boss first, friend second, and love interest a very dim third.

She changed into her pajamas and threw herself onto her bed. Curling under the blankets, she rubbed at her tattoos, confirming they were permanent. She didn't think they were going anywhere, but she had to check. With thoughts of summon spirits swirling in her head, she fell asleep.


End file.
